


Bright as the Future

by Pelixia



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-16
Updated: 2019-03-17
Packaged: 2019-10-29 13:55:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17809208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pelixia/pseuds/Pelixia
Summary: Not long after returning to Europe from his excursion in America, Newt finds himself following an intriguing lead on an as-of-yet undocumented creature. As it seems to be the only one of its kind, he hopes to ensure its protection.Little does he know there's far more to this creature than meets the eye.(Current Chapter: Chapter 2 - Menagerie Meet-cute)





	1. Prologue - Journal Entry + Preliminary Research Notes

_Wednesday January 26th, 1927_

_Based on all of the information I have been able to gather, I have been able to surmise two things. Firstly, the initial tip that I received about this creature’s existence appears to be legitimate, as my attempts to find further witnesses to it have proven fruitful, perhaps more fruitful than I would have expected at the outset._

_All of the accounts have offered an extremely similar description. Too similar for it to be a case of mistaken identification, and too many individual accounts for that matter, from both wizards and muggles alike, for it to be considered some manner of hoax._

_Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, I may have been able to narrow down its location based on the most recent sightings that have been reported. If my hunch is correct, it is currently making its home in the Miltonrigg Woods. I have already begun traveling northward, and if all works well, I should arrive within a few days._

_It seems that only one of these creatures exists, if all of the information I have been able to gather is indeed accurate. Because of this, it has been a target of attack from multiple fronts. Both muggles who lack the proper understanding of the magical and have come to fear it for that reason alone, and wizards who may seek to make it a unique trophy or prize, have attempted to capture it at best, kill it at worst. Though none have yet succeeded, I fear it may simply be a matter of time before this unique individual is made into a sideshow attraction or destroyed._

_If everything goes according to plan, I may be able to keep this creature safe. For its sake, I am more than a smidge hopeful that all will go well._

_\---_

_While proper documentation isn't possible until I can begin personal research out in the field, a sizable enough amount of information is available to work from, via witness testimony and description._

_The creature has been sighted off and on for just over fifteen years now, first spotted in late 1911._

_It has been given a number of different names by those that have encountered it over the years._  
_The Gloom Stag. The Singing Doe. The Horned Temptress, as aggressively labelled by one muggle who seemed particularly displeased by his encounter with the creature._  
_The more proper name the creature has been afforded, however, appears to be the Hellenacht._

_Appearance-wise, all accounts agree it most closely resembles a deer of some ilk. Based on descriptions given, it is likely somewhere around two hundred and thirteen centimeters tall excluding their antlers, or approximately seven feet. Its skin is described as mostly black, though some glowing white markings are also visible. It possesses two pairs of antlers, one black and one white._

_Particularly notable traits:_  
_The Hellenacht's most heavily described physical feature is its eyes. It has four of them; one dominant pair where they would normally rest on a deer, and a smaller secondary pair located just beneath the primary set._  
_The sclera and pupil of these eyes are pitch black, while the irises are white and, similarly to the body markings, they glow._

_It possesses a mouth full of sharp, needle-like teeth. Perhaps it feeds on fish and other such living things?_

_Rather than hooves of any kind, it seems to instead have two toes on each foot. Whether they have any level of grip strength can be determined with study._

_The one piece of information given in all accounts without fail is of how they were alerted to the Hellenacht's presence, and the circumstances under which it was found._  
_All encounters with the Hellenacht have been during the night, under cover of dense fog. During circumstances such as these, those who met it recall hearing some manner of song. None can agree on what the sound actually is upon first hearing it. Some heard the whistle of any number of bird species, other heard the tone of a wind instrument they couldn't quite place, some still even heard a human vocalization of indeterminate language or origin. Upon following this sound, they were then able to meet the Hellenacht._

 _Descriptions of how these meetings have gone from this point varied greatly, though many describe the creature as hostile and quick to lash out. As such, it would be wise to exercise some manner caution until more is learned. More than likely, though, it lashed out simply out of a sense of self-preservation and fear. All things considered, I don't believe I could blame it._

_I have faith that the Hellenacht's trust can be gained, so long as someone attempted to earn it. It will simply be a matter of determining how._


	2. Chapter 1 - Opening Number

The only sounds that Newt could hear at the moment were his own deliberately shallow and quiet breaths, and the soft shifting and crunching of snow underfoot. Not even the sounds of any other animals living in the forest reached his ears, which under more mundane circumstances might be a cause for confusion or concern.

With a relatively unknown beast wandering the woods, though, it made sense to him. Anything that might have lived here may have either fallen prey to it, were in hiding out of fear of becoming so, or had left the forest entirely to find home elsewhere. He had hoped, at first, that such a thing might make locating the creature easier, even if only a little.

However, he had been wandering the Miltonrigg Woods in search of the Hellenacht for what seemed like hours now, and he hadn’t heard so much as a single note of its song or seen so much as a set of tracks in the snow, aside from his own once or twice upon getting turned around a bit. He didn’t think it would be quite so difficult to track it, but hoping it would show itself somehow was his only choice. He had no way to lure it close, and it had no reason to trust humans. That being the case, he was at the mercy of the creature’s whims.

The small click of one of the clasps on his case coming undone startled him out of his musings, not expecting the sudden sound.

Lifting it a bit to take a look at it, Newt sighed upon seeing a little furry face with beady black eyes looking back at him, stopped halfway through squeezing itself out of the unsecured opening. He still really needed to get that fixed; he’d just been so preoccupied with getting back to work on this that he hadn’t found the time.

“I could have sworn that I told you to stay put and behave yourself.” He quietly scolded the Niffler as he knelt down in the snow, setting the case on the ground and picking the little troublemaker up by the scruff. It chittered in protest, clearly displeased its escape attempt was thwarted.

Having none of it, Newt frowned as he opened up his case fully. “Do not argue with me.”

Stepping down inside its confines, he was free to chastise the rodent at a more normal volume, no longer worried about having to whisper. “I have told you time and time again not to try and wander off, and you never listen. I know it’s in your nature, but I truly don’t think it would hurt to follow this one rule, especially tonight.”

After all, what if the little critter had a run-in with the Hellenacht? He had no way of knowing how it might react, and he didn’t want either of them getting hurt.

Opening the door to the shack, he gently sat the Niffler on the ground. “Now go and find something else to do.”

When it just looked up at him with a seemingly annoyed expression, he gently nudged it forward a bit with his shoe. “Go on, then! I’ll bring you back something shiny if you can behave yourself for just one night. How does that sound?”

Apparently satisfied with that answer, it then scampered off. He moved to shut the door again but for a moment, something caught his eye.

The space that he had set up especially for his Thunderbird, Frank, looked so incredibly empty now that he was gone. Though perhaps, thinking of him as _his_ Thunderbird was not really accurate. Newt was glad, of course, that he could be set free and return to where he belonged, that he could find his way back home. That didn’t mean that he didn’t miss having him here deeply, though.

He might have ended up just staying inside for a while, letting himself wallow in that sense of melancholy for a while, if not for picking up a sound. Not one that he recognized from any of the innumerable beasts that he kept inside. No, the sound he heard was unfamiliar to him, and it was coming from...

Yes, it was most certainly coming from outside.

At first, he only peeked his head out of the case just a bit to better listen. But it seemed that whatever he had heard, it had stopped before he had the chance to climb up. Of course, he would have such bad luck as to potentially miss his opportunity while dealing with another mischievous creature.

Stepping up out of the suitcase and snapping the clasps back shut, he pondered over his next course of action. Attempting to track it on his own truly didn’t seem to be a viable possibility... Would he just have to find a place he could hide, make camp in his case and hope both that the Hellenacht would come close to him and that he’d be able to notice? Maybe-

[Then he heard it.](https://soundcloud.com/ocelein/hellenacht/s-JlIjO)

That haunting and, admittedly, beautiful melody washed over Newt, causing him to freeze where he was as he listened. It was just as it had been described to him, the same tune that witnesses had hummed back to him in bits and pieces, all put together to form the tune he heard now.

More than anything, what gripped him is what it sounded like. To him, it was unmistakable. It was a woman’s voice. An unintelligible, but definitely female vocalization with pronunciations that just didn’t quite register as words in his mind, no matter how closely he focused and attempted to understand it.

It threatened to pull him in, in a way not quite unlike the song of a siren. Even if it hadn’t compelled him closer by force, though, he still picked himself up from the snow, grabbing his case before following in the direction he could hear the sound coming from.

Moonlight scarcely lit the way, barely filtering through the branches of the numerous closely clustered trees. The thickening fog didn’t help to unobstruct his field of vision either. Regardless of this, he felt like he knew where he was going. Like he was being purposefully led where he needed to be.

And almost before he could stop himself from continuing forward, he could see it. The tune’s origin a considerable ways away from him. Carefully situating himself somewhat behind a nearby tree, he peered around in order to watch the creature.

A soft white light pulsed from the Hellenacht’s markings, all of its eyes closed as it continued to sing. The light seemed to collect all around it, the darkness of the clearing and the cover of fog helping to aid in this appearance. He could only just make out those few details at the distance he was from it.

Dare he say, it was just as alluring as the melody it was singing, and Newt found his thoughts clouding ever so slightly as he took in the sight of the impressively tall, deer-like beauty.

Newt was so enraptured in his thoughts that in those short few moments of fascination, he slowly took a step forward.

The Hellenacht’s song abruptly halted as the otherwise silent atmosphere was broken by the sound of splintering wood; his body weight had been more than enough to snap the dead branch he misstepped on right down the center, the loud crack that echoed outwards from his position shattering the atmosphere, almost like a pane of glass breaking right in the middle of a performance in a theater. Four glowing white eyes flashed open and instantly landed on him.

Oh, bugger.


	3. Chapter 2 - Menagerie Meet-cute

The second the Hellenacht picked up on the sound and stopped singing, the very air around them seemed to grow inky and heavy. The glow that surrounded it dimmed drastically, the luminescence of its eyes that much more stark in contrast to the newly darkened surroundings.

Immediately, Newt froze where he stood, perhaps for the briefest of moments faintly and foolishly hoping that the creature couldn’t actually see him through the murky fog, hoping it had maybe only focused on the sound and would soon return to ignoring his presence.

Its mouth, a nearly seamless slit, soon opened ever so slightly to bare its teeth before releasing three quick, sharp sounds in succession. It was unmistakably a warning call if he’d ever heard one. A profession that it knew someone was there and if they didn’t leave, there would be consequences.

Instead of finding himself deterred as intended, though, he just found himself further interested by the creature. That call that it made was incredibly different from the song that it had sung. Perhaps the range of sounds that people heard weren’t magical in origin, and it truly had a myriad of different types of vocalizations it could choose from? Was it able to pull from any source it could think of, or was it a mimic who could only imitate sounds it had heard? Maybe-

The warning sound was soon repeated, cutting through Newt's musings and leaving no room for doubt that it knew he remained. Seemed it wasn’t a ‘keep still and it won’t notice you’ sort of situation.

Letting out a soft breath - one he didn’t realize he’d been holding - with a puff of white into the cold air, he stepped out from his still vaguely obscured place behind the tree. He kept a firm grip on his case with one hand, while his other was raised up, palm out as if surrendering. He only took a few scant steps forward before stopping, not wishing to encroach too far into its space.

“Ah... Hello.” His voice was small, soft, and even as he spoke to it. Despite the calm and unaggressive manner than he greeted it in, the creature did not seem the slightest bit convinced. It lowered its head to be at about eye level with him, teeth still unapologetically showing and one of its front feet stomping at the ground through the snow as it made a low, guttural sound akin to a growl.

“Shh, shh, it’s alright...” Kneeling down, he set his case aside and raised his newly freed hand in kind with his other, attempting to show it that he wasn’t armed. He made no move to stand either, remaining on his knees as it stared down at him.

Newt's eyes carefully roved over its form in turn, being able to take it in a bit clearer from this distance. From here, some of those glowing markings... Some of them looked less like markings it would be born with, and much more like scars. They were raised up, and seemingly more jagged than the ones that appeared natural, despite also emitting a dim glow.

Glancing back up to its face, he tried not to betray how much it angered him that anyone would bring a creature like this harm. “I don’t intend to hurt you, I can promise you that...”

It was the smallest bit unnerving, how closely the Hellenacht watched him. The growl it made slowly died down, its mouth closing and seemingly vanishing again, but those almost blindingly bright eyes didn’t leave him. Even when it had to blink, only one pair closed at a time so as to keep from breaking eye contact for even a moment, as if he might take the chance to lash out at it if it did. He could scarcely imagine what it had gone through to make it that cautious of him.

Even with those deeply saddening considerations running through his head, he softly smiled at the creature. “I’m not here to bring you any harm... I’m here to help you, and that’s the truth.”

It softly huffed through its nose, and it almost looked like... nearly seemed like it rolled the lower pair of its eyes, as if to say it had heard that before and it didn’t believe it. Seeing such a distinctly human-like mannerism coming from a beast like this was... infinitely fascinating to say the least. He couldn’t exactly blame it for being skeptical of him, either.

“Do you want proof...?” At his soft question, it seemed to directly respond again, this time by tilting its head to the side, eyes narrowed. ‘How would you prove that’, it appeared to ask in turn.

Slowly, Newt moved one hand to the breast pocket of his coat. He second-guessed for a second, fingers twitching slightly, only when he noticed the creature instinctively tense up. He looked up at it, briefly letting himself glance down at his pocket before quickly meeting its gaze again. Hopefully, it would understand.

Considering how much it had likely gone through, he wouldn’t have been surprised if it made some effort to indicate that it declined, or if it simply took the opportunity to flee from him.

Instead, though it similarly hesitated, the Hellenacht bowed its head to him, giving him permission.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his wand. The reaction was immediate, but not as aggressive as he might have expected. Its mouth had opened again, its lips pulled back in a snarl as it hissed at him. Despite this, though, it made no other movements aside from stepping back a bit from him. It was giving him one small chance, and for that he was grateful.

Holding it carefully between his fingers, Newt didn’t falter in the slightest before tossing it to the ground between them.

This was the first time since he’d revealed himself that its eyes weren’t on him. Instead, they were on the place in the snow where his wand had landed, focusing intensely on it.

“Do you believe me now? I wouldn’t disarm myself if I wanted to hurt you... As I said, I only wish to help.”

Its upper pair of eyes shifted back to him at the question, while the lower pair was still fixed on the ground. It kept eye contact for a few long moments, as if searching for some other indication he might be lying to it. To his delight, though, it soon bowed its head again.

That warm smile came back to Newt's face as he slowly stood from the ground, dusting the snow from his pants. Upon looking up again, the Hellenacht was incredibly close, nearly startling him. The way it could move without making any sound was incredible to him.

What was even more so was the fact that in its mouth, it held his wand. When he just looked at it in response, it nodded its head at him, indicating for him to take it back.

It truly possessed a level of intelligence unlike anything he could recall having seen before... This creature was truly a marvel.

He nodded in kind before gently retrieving his wand from it and returning it to its place in his pocket. “Thank you...”

Sheepishly, he rubbed at the back of his neck as another thought came to mind. “If we’re going to be acquainted with one another, I should introduce myself to you... My name is Newt. Newt Scamander.” The creature gave a small huff of understanding.

Normally, he might not be inclined to offer a formal introduction like that to any creature coming into his care. With how smart the Hellenacht seemed, however, it might be considered rude not to.

“What... What should I call you?”

The question came as a surprise to the both of them. He felt a bit silly asking a creature that couldn’t speak to offer a name, but he hadn’t even really thought about it. The Hellenacht’s eyes widened slightly, indicating it too hadn’t expected such a question. Perhaps it wasn’t wise to ask-

Opening its mouth again, what left it was a soft birdsong.

Birdsong... How was it relevant to what he’d asked? But the chirps and trills sounded incredibly familiar. Why would that be?

When Newt looked at it in confusion, it just continued to sing. It took a few moments of listening for him to come to a conclusion and, maybe, understand.

“You... That’s a wren’s call, isn’t it?” The creature gave a nod in reply. The corners of its eyes crinkled a little bit, almost... almost as though it was smiling.

“...It’s a pleasure to meet you, Wren.”


End file.
